No one is a stranger to the coveted Michelin star that almost every restaurant wants and those who have it flaunt it like nothing else.
The rating system that was developed in 1900 as a way to help French drivers find local amenities like restaurants and mechanics, has now become a symbol of a restaurant’s excellence and prestige. As per the Guide one star signifies “a very good restaurant”, two stars are “excellent cooking that is worth a detour”, and three stars mean “exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey”.
However, the Indian government also launched its own ‘Annapurna Stars’ or the Annapurna certificate last year to award restaurants that outstandingly promote Indian cuisine.
What Is The Annapurna Certificate?
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) launched the Annapurna Certificate last year which would recognise and honour restaurants that promote Indian culinary traditions on a global level.
As per the ICCR website “The “Annapurna Certificate” was instituted by the Indian Council Cultural Relations (ICCR) to recognize and honour restaurants operating abroad that have made outstanding contributions to the promotion of authentic Indian cuisine and culinary traditions in foreign countries.
This Certificate serves as a symbol of appreciation for the significant role these restaurants play in introducing Indian gastronomy to local communities abroad and enhancing cultural exchange.”
The eligibility rules for this certificate listed by the ICCR are:
- restaurant must have been operational for at least five years,
- serve at least 5,000 customers a month
- any restaurant, whether in India or outside is eligible to participate as long as it has made an “outstanding contribution to the promotion of authentic Indian Cuisine, among local community members”
- associations or organisation, although are not eligible to participate
- the restaurant should also meet a “high level of compliance with the food hygiene and safety norms and local rules and regulations”
A jury selected by the ICCR will make the final selection of the certificate winners
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Last year, six restaurants were given the certificate out of 120 applications in its maiden award ceremony. The certificate aims to expand Indian cuisine’s horizon beyond just negative stereotypes that Indian food is “smelly” or “spicy”.
The Annapurna certificate and a stamp shaped like the Goddess Annapurna are given to these restaurants that are then recognised as official global ambassadors of Indian food.
The six restaurants to win this certificate last year were Balaji Dosa in Sri Lanka, Indian Street Food and Co. in Sweden, Amber Restaurant in the United States of America, Naans and Curries in Costa Rica, Mumtaz Mahal in Oman, and Namaste in Mongolia. In 2024, ICCR has received 16 nominations, but winners are yet to be announced.
As per a Times Now report big name restaurants like Priyanka Chopra’s Sona restaurant, Jamavar, Kanishka by Atul Kochhar, Chai Pani, Dhamaka along with Vikas Khanna’s Bungalow have been eliminated from the race as the certificate is aimed at giving recognition to the smaller establishments that provide Indian food on a local level.
Chef Garima Arora, the first Indian woman to win a Michelin star and who runs a Bangkok-based Indian fine-dining restaurant, also spoke about this award saying “Food is soft power which is such low-hanging fruit. I wish we would just grab it and go for it,” adding “Indian food is something people all over the world enjoy. Not just do they find it delicious, people are more and more interested in the history and anthropology of cooking and the regional complexities of it all.”
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Print, Times Now, NewsX
Find the blogger: @chirali_08
This post is tagged under: Annapurna Stars, Annapurna awards, Michelin Star, Michelin Star rating, Michelin Star restaurants, restaurants, indian restaurants, Annapurna certificate
Disclaimer: We do not hold any right, or copyright over any of the images used, these have been taken from Google. In case of credits or removal, the owner may kindly mail us.
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